A wildfire broke out in a forested area near Mola Kalyva in the Halkidiki peninsula on Saturday afternoon, prompting a large-scale response from Greek firefighting authorities.

The Fire Service’s operations center received reports of the blaze at around 3:00 p.m. local time and immediately deployed ground and aerial firefighting resources to contain the fire.

A total of 60 firefighters, supported by two specialized forest firefighting units, volunteers and 20 fire engines, were battling the blaze. One helicopter was also deployed to assist with aerial water drops.

Municipal water tankers from the Municipality of Kassandra were assisting firefighting efforts.

Authorities said an arson investigation unit from the Halkidiki Fire Service had been dispatched to determine the cause of the fire. No information was immediately available on damage, injuries or whether nearby communities were under threat.